Aluminum rear axles?

I have been racking my (admittedly miniscule) brain trying to think of something RWD which used an aluminum differential housing. Or even a 4WD front housing. Anybody know of anything? It would of course help if it were reasonably readily available.

Didn't some Jeeps use a Dana 35 with a cast aluminum center on the front? I could be wrong.

Google says Explorers, Rangers, Pontiac Montanas (and assumably it's corporate twins), and the Jeep ZJ (93-98 Grand Cherokee with a Dana 44) had aluminum differential housings. I don't know if I trust random internet postings but you might want to look at those vehicles.

Bob

P.S.
Is assumably a word?

Differential housing, or 3rd member?

Sprites/Midgets for example have a cute little aluminum diff housing w/ a wee scale model of a proper ring n' pinion. 3.7, 3.9, 4.1, 4.55 at least.

I've got the 3.9 in the car now and have a 4.55 w/ a De-troit locker. Breaks axles like bread sticks.

I believe the word you're looking for is "presumably"

Or alternatively:

"I assume"

v8 grand cherokees had a rear dana 44 with an aluminum center section.

dont know if all vipers have it, but it sounds like there are aluminum housed diffs here: http://www.mopartsracing.com/parts/viper.html

Alfa Romeo

Aren't the front diff housings aluminium on the AWD/4WD GM offerings? Those weird looking cases that split down the center....

Just the third member is aluminum on the 96-98 ZJs with the D44a. They also have rear disc brakes. The 93-95 V8 ZJs have a steel D35 and some of those also have rear discs (Limited models).

lincoln mk viii - irs aluminum housing ford 8.8

thought the housing on the lincoln was iron, the one from my thunderbird was.

the front axles of the s10 and derivatives are aluminum housings.

Believe my LSC Lincoln has alum 8.8 IRS.

93-1998 lincoln marks have alum 8.8 housings. Internals aren't compatible with non irs stuff.

I think the rear axle on the newest Troopers was some kind of Al centered D44 hybrid thingy but I'm not positive.

housing on the r180 front diff in xterra/frontier/v6 pathfinders is cast aluminum, and it sucks. ARB quit developing the locker for it because the case couldn't hold up to the stress.

Cadillac CTS, CTS-V, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky

Could really be noticeable on a 7 build...

Subaru

99-04 Cobra, Gen 2 Explorer, 93-98 Mark 8.

Pontiac Solstice.

IRS T birds had iron center sections, the Marks had aluminum

C4 vettes had either D36 or D44 Aluminum rear diff's.

Aren't the big Nissan housings aluminum? (R200, etc.) What about BMW? Merkur (Sierra). You can buy aftermarket Ford 9" aluminum housings.

mr2peak wrote: Could really be noticeable on a 7 build...

That's sorta what I was thinkin'....

Thanks for all the answers! Lots to chew on here.

Strizzo wrote: housing on the r180 front diff in xterra/frontier/v6 pathfinders is cast aluminum, and it sucks. ARB quit developing the locker for it because the case couldn't hold up to the stress.

For what I'm thinking of, this might be the best bet; it won't be under anywhere near the stresses of a 4x4. Anyone have an idea if the guts are interchangeable with other R180's?